Vortex
by Luver.of.Pie
Summary: "I am the TARDIS, ship of the Doctor."
1. Chapter 1

'Rose Tyler, I-'

And then she was gone, like a flower petal in a tornado.

It seemed that, when she had disappeared, she had taken part of him with her. She had torn part of his physical body away, and he was so _numb_ that he couldn't feel it.

He couldn't feel it, yet it filled him. And two solitary tears fell down his face as he opened his mouth and closed it, letting those two sweet words fall back down his throat, let them fall back into nothing. He needed her. He physically and mentally _needed_ her. She was always there for him, she always had the words, the hugs, the smiles he needed to see, to hear, to feel. _Always_. And where was she now?

Stranded, and all because of him. And her hugs, her words and her smiles were stranded with her.

She loved him. He always knew, even though he never said it. He saw the way she looked at him, the special smiles and laughs she saved for him, the adoration and protection she held for him. And he hadn't minded, of course. He loved her too, after all. He had received so many chances to tell Rose Tyler he loved her, but he passed them all up. He took the easy path. He took the name coward, which he usually proudly bore.

He had run out of time.

The irony was killing him. A Time Lord, who could see all that is, was, and will be, who had tamed the time vortex, who was _part_ of time itself, had run out of time. The seconds had ticked by, and before he knew it, the chances were gone.

And so was she.

The Doctor couldn't take just standing there, feeling nothing, yet feeling everything. He wiped his face with his hands and then walked to the coral console, pressing buttons and pulling levers, not knowing what he was doing, not caring. He needed to escape from the pain, even if that meant possibly blowing himself up.

_Crash_.

He spun around, eyes crinkling in confusion, and saw a tiny, fragile body laying on the walkway that lead from the doors to the console. He ran over to the body and turned it over, seeing the face that was calm in unconsciousness.

"What?" He muttered under his breath, taking in her appearance. It was a woman about his age, or, actually, about how old he looked. She had very long hair streaked with light blue, as well as some gold highlights. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving except for the small rise and fall of her chest, the only proof that she wasn't a corpse. She was wearing a plain gold dress that fell to her knees, and her body was positioned in such a way that she could have been sleeping.

He leaned down and picked her up, carrying her bridal style up the walkway, towards the hallway that lead to bedrooms. He couldn't turn away a helpless, unconscious woman. Who could?

_'TARDIS, could you make an extra room for her, please?'_

No reply.

_'TARDIS? Is something wrong, girl?'_

Silence.

Thinking that maybe she was ignoring him because she was mourning Rose in her own way, he carried her to his own barely used room and laid her down in the bed. The Doctor walked to the door, hands in his pockets, turning back to look at the strange girl when he reached the door. Her hair was fanned out around the pillow, and she looked almost angelic. Shaking his head, the Doctor turned and left the room, closing the door tightly behind him.

* * *

A few hours later, the Doctor heard light footsteps on the metal walkway that lead from the hallway to the console. He turned around and saw the woman standing there, staring at him, her head slightly tilted to the side.

"Hello, Theta," She said, her voice like honey, almost hypnotic.

The Doctor ignored what she said, squinting at her, as if analyzing her. "Ah, you're awake," He said, sounding almost pleased. "Now, if you could please explain how you landed on my ship, that would be nice."

"I did not _land_ on your ship, Theta," The woman said with a smile, her eyes crinkling. They were strange, her eyes – they glowed gold, staring him squarely in the eye. "I _am_ your ship. I am the TARDIS, and I am the ship of the Last of the Time Lords."

* * *

_**Hey, it's LOP! *wave* Now, let's get this straight – I am not back for good. This is the only story I'll be updating, as I've been writing it on my iPod for a **_**very**_** long time. This is a re-write of the first chapter, as the original bothered me, it seemed too… immature. Don't ask me, I'm blonde.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, the next chapter will be up in a few hours/a day. It'll be about how the TARDIS got a physical form, etc. etc., then into Runaway Bride. It'll still follow the basic storyline, and I'll try to get the episodes right and stuff [thank goodness for recordings! T.T]**_

_**Well… Hopefully this isn't too cliché. Review, please?**_

_**~LOP**_


	2. Chapter 2

As the woman walked up to the console, pressing buttons and pushing levers with a look of amazement on her face, the Doctor had his mouth wide open, staring in shock at the woman who claimed to be the TARDIS. Finally, after deciding that he would rather _not_ have bugs for lunch (after all, there were some flies that had escaped from the gardens), he strolled over to her and started scanning her with the sonic screwdriver. After double, no, triple-checking the results, he leaned back against the console, staring at her with a serious look on his face.

"You really are the TARDIS," The Doctor said, crossing his arms.

Rolling her eyes, the TARDIS snorted. "Yes, I highly doubt that I would lie about who I am, and even if I would, I doubt I would lie about something so _serious_. However, TARDIS is a stuffy name for human," She crinkled her nose, then laughed. "Can you call me Terri instead? I like that name. Rose used to talk about a friend named Terri, and I became quite attached to the title."

Slightly taken about, the Doctor nodded. "So, err…" He scratched the back of his head, a casual look on his face. "Meet up with any Faruya's lately? They tend to enjoy changing people's physical forms _quite_ often."

"Theta, if you want an explanation, just ask for it. You are asking for an explanation, aren't you?" The former ship chucked, and the Doctor nodded, his jaw set. Terri chuckled again, her eyes glowing, if was possible, an even brighter gold. "Well, my dear Doctor, we all search for explanations, and rarely can find them," She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "However, I will be _delighted_ to tell you how I became a living being. But, first, I would like some coffee. I have seen you and your companions drink it _countless_ times, and have envied you for being able to have it. Now that I finally have a body, I would love to taste it!"

The Doctor smiled, showing off his brilliant set of teeth that matched Terri's. "Well, then! Off to the kitchens! Follow me!" Terri, however, raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips.

"Theta, need I remind you that I was, or actually, am, _part_ of the TARDIS?" He shook his head. "And since I am said TARDIS, don't you think I would know where the kitchens are?" Another nod. "And, so, do you need to show me the way to a room that I _made_?" One final nod, and then Terri smiled. "Good, then! Shall we?" She held out her arm, and, grinning brightly, the Doctor linked his arm with hers.

"We shall!"

* * *

The smell of coffee scented the kitchens, floating in the air as lightly as a scarf in the breeze. Terri took a sip out of her steamy mug and then smiled. "Possibly not as delicious as I thought, but still… Amazing to be able to drink. So many new things, Theta! I can speak now – with lips, that is, not telepathically. I can smell, and there are so many fragrances! Something… floral. Something tangy, and something like…" She took a deep sniff, wrinkling her forehead and nose in concentration. "It's sharp, if you can smell something sharp," She said, popping her eyes open and looking at the Doctor. "It's fresh and… crisp, that's it." Terri stood up, setting her mug down on the table, walking out of the kitchens, sniffing every once in a while. The Doctor followed, a small smile etched onto his face, hands in his pockets.

After walking for a few moments, she smiled, her eyes lighting up in victory. She pushed open a door, the door to the garden, and was greeted by the smell and sight of freshly cut grass. Terri laughed, spinning around, her gold dress billowing out around her tanned legs. She collapsed in a bundle on top of the green blades, grasping handfuls of them and pulling them towards her face.

The sight of this made the Doctor smile. He watched her stare in amazement for a few moments before lying down next to her, staring at the seemingly real blue sky (in reality, it was nothing more than a giant projection screen).

"I believe it's time for that explanation, TAR – Terri. For all I know, you could be wrong. I'm sorry, but something like you just shouldn't be _possible_. You could just be wrong. TARDIS' aren't beings, they aren't _meant_ to have a physical body. I need to know."

Terri sat up, smoothing out her dress. "I can give you an explanation, Theta. I just can't guarantee that it will make sense," The Doctor nodded, his face solemn. "Well, I should hope that you remember when Rose looked into my heart. She absorbed the time vortex, using it to return and save you. Well, although you took it back and later regenerated, she had still _absorbed_ part of me, and that part of me stayed in her mind. Not dangerous, just dormant. She was fine, and the part inside her was fine – because she was with you.

"But, doctor, when you left Rose just now, you left her for good. That awoke the part inside her, which tried to reconnect with the ship form, but it was difficult – it had to pull itself through the wall between worlds, and that isn't an easy task," Terri smiled here, pausing her story for a moment. She reached out her hand, grasping towards a butterfly, which fluttered around her hand. "It finally pulled through, but it couldn't completely reconnect. Therefore, it made another form, because it needed to be there, it needed to be with you. I am that part that was in Rose's mind. I gave myself a body because I can't survive without a form… Because I can't survive without you."

The Doctor reached his hand down and linked his fingers with Terri's, and she turned her head towards him and smiled. He smiled back. The Doctor and the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry about Rose," She whispered, and his face immediately fell, remembering the pain that he had pushed back, tried to hide. "I know you love her. I know she loves you. I know that it can't happen. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," He said, his voice laced with pain. "Don't feel sorry for something that could never happen."

The air was silent.

* * *

_**Well, finally, the second chapter has arrived. Next chapter, Runaway Bride! Comments? ;P**_

_**~LOP **_


End file.
